The dawn of Easter Sunday with its message of new life is the high point of the Easter festival and of the Christian year. It celebrates Jesus rising from the dead (His resurrection) and living forever. The colour for the season of Easter is white.

Jesus had told His disciples before He was arrested that He would be crucified and on the third day He would rise from the dead. Christians gather together on Easter Sunday for the Easter Eucharist which is a particularly joyful service.

All the resources of the Church are used to celebrate Christ’s resurrection - music, flowers, bells, colour - and Easter hymns use the word ‘alleluia’ with great frequency. It is not a word used at all in worship during Lent. The Renewal of Baptismal vows are also part of the Parish Communion and the Easter Candle will burn at all celebrations of the eucharist until Pentecost fifty days later. It is our principal symbol of the resurrection during the Easter season.

St James's, like other churches, makes an Easter Garden, recreating in miniature the place where Jesus was buried. A stone is placed across the mouth of a tomb before Easter, then rolled away on Easter morning. The Jays Sunday School often make an Easter Garden which adds to the beautiful decorations in St. James's Church for this most important and significant festival.

Easter eggs symbolise new life and at St. James's there is a basket of eggs that are given out to the congregation.

Ascension Day marks the day when Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven. It was forty days after His resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday. During the forty days which followed the first Easter, Jesus kept appearing to His followers and Ascension Day marks the last appearance of Jesus to the disciples.

He told them that He would always be with them, and promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit (at Pentecost).

The name 'ascension' comes from the accounts in the Bible in Mark's Gospel and Luke's Gospel that tell of Jesus being taken up into heaven - he ascended.

Ten days after Ascension Day is Pentecost, which marks the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. See our Pentecost page.